Walk Two Moons

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

AR Reading Level: 4.9
On the library stacks: YA/Children's Fiction
Awards: Newbery Medal; State Award; Heartland Award for Excellence in YA Literature; BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
Recommended for: Grades 6+

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one of the books my daughter Coco will study in 6th grade this year. (I was happy to see that The View From Saturday is also on the list.)

Salmanca Hiddle (Sal) is our delightful 13-year old narrator. She is driving across the country with her grandparents, retracing the route her mother took when she left Sal and her father on their farm in Kentucky. Sal hopes that her mother will come home with them at the end of their journey.

As they travel, Sal recounts the story of the last few months she has spent in Euclid, Ohio where she moved with her father after her mother left. Sal makes a friend named Phoebe who has a way of making everything out to be a way bigger deal than it really is. One day, Phoebe's respectable mother who has lived what she believes is a "tiny life" up and leaves the family, reminding Sal of her own experience. Phoebe is convinced that she has been kidnapped and murdered, but Sal is a good friend and helps Phoebe discover the truth.

This is a story that has many layers. I liked how Sal and Phoebe's stories overlapped and Sal was able to grow through her friendships. I also liked the central message of this book--that we should not judge others until we have "walked two moons in their moccasins".  Even though it is kind of a sad story at it's core, it was also funny and uplifting. It was a well-written book, full of heart, and I did shed a few tears at the end.

Things to know: There are a few minor swear words, and some references to sex and extra-marital affairs.

Also reviewed by: things mean a lot ~ Your link here?
Source: Goodreads Bookswap